Korean J Health Promot.  2023 Mar;23(1):28-36. 10.15384/kjhp.2023.23.1.28.

Childhood Obesity among Socioeconomically Vulnerable Families: A Path Model Using Parenting Behavior and Its Associates

• Yang HM
• Choo J

• KMID: 2541208
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2023.23.1.28

Abstract

Background
Using path analysis, we aimed to examine whether parenting self-efficacy and parenting styles would be significant associates with parenting behavior, and the parenting behavior would be significantly associated with the obesity status of children from socioeconomically vulnerable families.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 61 parents and their children enrolled in public welfare systems in a community in Seoul, South Korea. Parenting behavior was defined as encouraging a child’s healthy eating habits and was measured using the Child Feeding Questionnaire.
Results
In the path model, higher levels of parenting self-efficacy and lower levels of authoritarian parenting were significantly associated with a higher level of parenting behavior, which was significantly associated with lower child body mass index z-scores.
Conclusions
Community health nurses need to provide intervention strategies for increasing parenting self-efficacy and decreasing authoritarian parenting styles to promote parenting behaviors and childhood obesity prevention among socioeconomically vulnerable families.

Keyword

Parenting; Self efficacy; Childhood obesity; Vulnerable populations

Figure

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  Fig. 1. The path model in this study (n=61). The model’s fit showed a perfect fit to the data based on the results (χ2=1.22, df=4, RMR=0.016, RMSEA≤0.001, GFI=0.993, AGFI=0.965, NFI=0.988, CFI=1.00). The model’s fit showed a perfect fit to the data based on the results (χ2=1.22, df=4, RMR=0.016, RMSEA≤0.001, GFI=0.993, AGFI=0.965, NFI=0.988, CFI=1.00). df, degree of freedom; RMR, root mean square residual; RMSEA, root mean square error of approximation; GFI, goodness-of-fit index; AGFI, adjusted goodness- of-fit index; NFI, normed fit index; CFI, comparative fit index; AMOS, analysis of moment structures. aAll values indicate standardized coefficients using AMOS with maximum likelihood estimation obtained by the path analysis. bP<0.05.

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